Top 10 Games from 2021: No. 1

By rbrown
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Updated: January 18, 2022

TOP 10 NHIAA GAMES FROM 2021
No. 1: Exeter 35, Bedford 28 (2 OT)

Exeter fans probably thought they had seen this show before. Fortunately for them, this episode had a different ending.

Bedford quarterback Joe Mikol engineered a game-winning drive on his team’s final possession when Exeter an Bedford met during the regular season, and he seemed intent on doing something similar in this Division I quarterfinal.

Exeter was cruising to victory until Mikol rallied the Bulldogs from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to to tie the game at 21-21 and force overtime.

The deja vu feeling lingered on the Exeter sideline until defensive back Adam Neil intercepted a Mikol pass at the goal line in double overtime to give Exeter a turbulent 35-28 victory.

Neil also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Evan Pafford in the first overtime to tie the game at 28-28. Neil’s TD came after Bedford’s Logan Sfier opened overtime with a 3-yard touchdown run. Nate Leighton’s third touchdown of the game — a 7-yard scoring toss from Pafford — was the only TD in the second OT.

Mikol sparked Bedford’s comeback with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Evan Cibotti to trim Bedford’s deficit to 21-13 with 4:17 remaining in regulation.

After a failed fake-punt attempt by the Blue Hawks, Mikol steered the Bulldogs to a TD that helped force OT. He completed four passes for 33 yards on the drive, which ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Grudinskas. Mikol then found Grudinskas for a 2-point conversion pass to tie the game at 21-21 with 1:40 left in regulation.

Mikol and the Bulldogs had a chance to force a third overtime, but his fourth-down pass was intercepted by Neil. It was a finish that sent the Exeter fans home happy.

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